Leaders upbeat after Bilour family scion joins PTI

PESHAWAR: As a member of the influential Bilour family recently joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), it prompted the ministers and leaders of the ruling party to say that they would give more surprises before the local government election slated for December 19.

After Ghazanfar Bilour, the son of former senator Ilyas Bilour, formally announced joining the PTI, Minister for Higher Education Kamran Bangash said the position of the PTI candidate running for the slot of the Peshawar mayor had been strengthened.

He maintained that more political figures were willing to join the ruling party, dispelling the impression that people were unwilling to contest the election on the PTI ticket. Adviser to Chief Minister on Information Mohammad Ali Saif said the opposition stood divided and failed to field a joint candidate in the LG polls.

He said the government would ensure the holding of a free and fair elections in a peaceful atmosphere for which arrangements had been made.A tough competition is expected between the candidates of the major political parties. They have mobilized party workers to seek the support of the voters.

The Pakistan Democratic Movement, an alliance of opposition parties, has failed to nominate the joint candidate against PTI’s Rizwan Bangash for the Peshawar mayor slot.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) have withdrawn candidates in favour of the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUIF)’s Zubair Ali, the son of former district nazim Peshawar Ghulam Ali.

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has nominated Arbab Zarak Khan, the son of former federal minister Arbab Alamgir Khan and Asma Alamgir, who has mobilized party workers within the city and rural areas in the provincial capital. Arbab Zarak has wooed the dissidents in a bid to muster support for the upcoming election.

He is addressing public meetings led by PPP former provincial president Syed Zahir Ali Shah and Women Wing President Rubina Khalid.

The ANP’s Sher Rahman and Bahrullah Advocate of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) are running organised election campaigns.Political observers said that a hard-hitting competition would take place between the candidates of PPP and JUIF.

The PMLN activists in their separate chat with The News expressed reservations over the withdrawal of their candidate Nekzada from the contest without proper consultation.The staunch supporters of PMLN nominee including Malik Noor, Malik Asghar and Malik Nadeem said they were now concentrating on other seats.Former provincial minister and MPA Amanullah Haqqani and Atif-ur-Rahman are actively campaigning for JUIF’s Zubair Ali and they are hopeful that the party would get sufficient votes.